


Shaving Accidents

by DruidX



Series: Modern Oblivion AU [4]
Category: Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Comfort/Angst, Gen, Hand Tremors, M/M, Mild Blood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-13 18:54:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29406555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DruidX/pseuds/DruidX
Summary: Set soon after the events of the Main Quest in my Modern AU.Martin is still in a coma after Dagon's attack. Baurus is coping about as well as one might expect for having the love of one's life in a coma that they may well never recover from; that is to say, not very. Baurus hits a few snags while preparing to go visiting.
Relationships: Baurus & Female Hero of Kvatch | Champion of Cyrodiil, Baurus/Martin Septim
Series: Modern Oblivion AU [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1945987
Kudos: 1





	Shaving Accidents

Wane winter light filtered through the undulating window, filling the tiny bathroom with cold morning light. Steam rose from the sink, fogging up the old mirror. Baurus ran a hand over the glass, staring at the reflection of a man with haunted, bruised eyes. From the battered stool, he grabbed his towel, his fingers sinking into its softness as he threw it over a shoulder. For a moment, he leant against the basin, head hanging between his arms, eyes closed. His shoulders rose and fell, rose and fell. Deep, quick breaths – almost gasps – as he kept himself under control. A hand swept over his face, erasing the evidence of his weakness. 

He straightened, reaching for the shaving-oil, running through the preparations needed. Oiled and lathered, Baurus picked up his safety razor. He stopped as a tremor ran through his hand. Placing the blade down, he clenched his hands tightly, taking another deep breath. He couldn't afford to not be clean-shaven. They wouldn't let him in if he wasn't and then he couldn't-

"Stop it," Baurus told his reflection. "Don't get wound up." A breath in through the nose, out through the mouth. 

He nodded to his reflection, picking up the razor again, ignoring the gentle tremors that still ran through his hands. The blade ran smoothly down the contour of his cheek until the jawline, where the change made his hand twitch.

"Shit!" Baurus turned his head to see a dribble of blood mingle with the white lather. He carefully wiped it away, applying a styptic pencil. Another calming breath. Another stroke.

"Goddamnit." A nick on the cheekbone. Rinse and repeat.

"Son of a-" The fold of skin at the corner of his mouth was bleeding.

A knock on the door.

"Is everything okay in there?" Baurus hung his head, letting the blood drip into the sink. Because of course, Aderyn would be the one to hear his cursing. "B?" 

He grabbed a handful of tissue. "I'm fine." The blood soaked through quickly.

"You don't sound fine... Are you decent? I'm coming in."

"It's fine! You don't need to-" But the handle was already turning as Aderyn unlocked the door from without. Baurus turned resigned eyes on her as the redhead entered the bathroom.

"What would you have done if I was naked?" he asked.

"Looked at your face. Got the advantage of having seen it all before, ain't I?" She crossed the small space in a few strides. "What happened, B?"

"It's nothing."

"Don't fucking bullshit me. You never bloody swear. What happened?"

Baurus looked down at the trail of blood diffusing into the sudsy water. "I... cut myself shaving. A few times." With tender fingers, Aderyn twisted his head so she could see the damage.

"Ain't too bad. You're still pretty," she said with a soft smile, wiping away the last of the crimson trails.

"Thanks." She stepped back, leaning carefully against the wall so as not to knock the radiator from its rickety mount, as he reached again for the blade. His hand trembled, the blade flashing in the cold light.

"Oh, whoa, hey." Aderyn jerked away from the wall. "No wonder you nicked yourself." She put a hand on his arm. "Babes, you can't shave like this."

A breath in through the nose, out through the mouth. "I have to. I can't wear a mask with the beard, and they said I can't-" His breath hitched. His hand spasmed.

"Okay. Babes, it's okay." Aderyn took the razor out of his hand.

His throat grew tight. "I need to see him Li'l Bird. He's in a clean room, and they said-" His breath hitched again. "I'm not allowed if I don't have a mask, and I can't wear the mask with- with the beard and-"

"Hey, hey." Aderyn took both his hands, holding tight as they spasmed and jerked. "I know. Babes, I know, I get it. It's alright." Blue eyes flicked across his face. "I'll do it, yeah? I got steady hands. And ain't like you don't trust me or nuffin'. You can see him enough for the both of us, yeah? Only one of us can, and it's-" She swallowed. "It's more important you see him."

"Aderyn-"

"Fucking- Just sidown before  _ I _ start getting teary."

Baurus blinked a few times before nodding and perching on the paint-chipped stool.

"Just... Make sure you do downstrokes on the face, and upstrokes on the neck."

"You sure?" She frowned as she rinsed the blade off. "Ain't it s'posed to be the other way?"

"Not when your hair's like mine."

"Right." Aderyn gave him a lopsided grin. "Who'm I gonna believe, me or the guy with the facial hair?" she said, half to herself. Baurus felt his lips twitch.

"Tch. Don't smile," Aderyn said tapping his nose. "You'll make wrinkles for the hair to hide in."

"Yes, ma'am," Baurus said, smirking.

For a long few minutes, they were silent, Aderyn bent over his face, biting her lip in concentration. The razor slid over his skin in easy, even strokes.

"Fuck!"

"Ouch..."

"Sorry," she said, dabbing at the nick she'd given on the corner of his jaw. 

Another few minutes of silence passed.

"There," Aderyn said, standing back and putting the razer on the sink. She gave him a tight smile. "Beautiful. If he ain't glad to see that handsome mug then there's summint wrong with him. I'll go let Roliand know you're nearly ready." 

"Aderyn."

"Hmm?" She turned back, one hand on the handle, the other pushing at her messy mop of hair. He stared for a long moment. "What?"

"Thank you."

Aderyn stared back at him for a beat, before giving a one-shouldered shrug, ducking her head. "Sure."

"I mean it Li'l Bird."

Her shoulders tensed as she straightened. An arm crossed her body. "It's just a shave."

"No, it-"

"Don't. You don't need to say nothing. Just. Finish getting ready. I'll go tell Roliand." Trails of flame-red hair flicked out as she vanished through the door. Baurus stared after her. Closed his eyes. A breath in through the nose, out the mouth. Pulled the plug on the sink, and finished getting ready.


End file.
